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Homes

For an artist, divine inspiration

Once a church, the Sanctuary is now lofts and art studios in the heart of historic Tampa Heights.

By ELIZABETH BETTENDORF
Published August 26, 2005

TAMPA HEIGHTS - Two years ago, Kate Whatley fell so in love with her one-room loft apartment in a turn-of-the-century Greek Revival church, she vowed never to rent traditional digs again.

"You should see it in the mornings, the way the sun comes in," said Whatley, seated on a blue velvet sofa, her wildly colorful pop-art images of frogs, palms trees, skyline, even singer Madonna, radiating on the 13-foot-high walls around her.

Whatley, 22, a painter, commercial art director and serious equestrian, created her own custom decor, including a 17-foot-long stampede of blue horses she painted on three large, connected canvases. Her images fill the cappuccino and cream walls of the 850-square-foot living space she shares with her boyfriend, Scott Floyd, 31.

Their airy apartment is one of 32 units at the Sanctuary, the church turned residential lofts on Ross Street in the heart of historic Tampa Heights.

Last week, Whatley hosted "Clair de Lune," an exhibit featuring the works of 30 Florida artists, mostly from the Tampa area.

The show was meant to bring attention to the artists as well as to the new art studios for rent in what had been the sanctuary of a Methodist church and school. The setting will allow artists to showcase their work in individual studios and a common gallery space.

"I think it's wonderful. The type of people who would want to live in a loft are usually into art, so it's a perfect marriage," said Lisa Landsman, who exhibited three paintings in the show.

"Plus, I love the idea that the Sanctuary is in Tampa Heights, which is full of beautiful buildings that have either been rejuvenated or are waiting to be fixed."

Whatley came up with the idea for the art exhibit when she heard that property co-owner Russell Versaggi - a local arts supporter and owner of other historic properties - had plans to transform the main hall into art studios. He hosted 2002 Gala Corina, an annual art fete, at the Sanctuary before restoration began. The neighborhood has become a haven for preservationists attracted to the plethora of historic buildings and the area's proximity to downtown and Interstate 275. Two years ago, Whatley said, she wouldn't have walked her dog, Riley, without her boyfriend. Now, as homeowners up and down the block refurbish the old houses that populate the tree-lined street, Whatley goes out for a stroll alone almost daily.

The Sanctuary, with alarm systems in every unit and video cameras in the parking lot and hallways, has attracted a following of single women, including artists, photographers, landscape designers, a Web designer and a yoga teacher,

"This is a place that single women can live in comfortably," Whatley said. "When I walk my dog, I see other single girls like me walking their dogs, too."

The 16 artist studios will rent for $225 to $275 a month. The lofts themselves rent from $700 to $1,200.

Whatley and Floyd's loft - outfitted with sleek black appliances, faux hardwood floors, modern, blond-wood cabinetry and a kitchen island that extends into the living space - is an exercise in modernity. Though the common spaces retain their historic dignity - elegant wooden staircases, oriental rugs and church pews - the living spaces are highly contemporary.

In Whatley's loft, the bed and office - really a table, computer, printer and goose-neck lamp - share space with the main living area.

"It's interesting," she said, "because in a relationship, two people can't be mad at each other for very long here because where do you go? To the couch 15 feet away?"

One evening last week, paintings, photographs and sculpture filled the Sanctuary's studio area. A series of giclees in bright tropical colors depicted scrubby Florida palm trees, and a sculpture of a Salvador Dali-esque "half" clock rested on a table.

The studios, which have an open-air look to encourage conversation, are divided by modern, grid-like metal lathe and salvaged windows. Light filters in through the church's original stained glass windows, which glow like amber, emeralds and rubies in the early evening light.

"It's a very spiritual place," Whatley said. "Sometimes when I'm alone, I get a very peaceful feeling here. I don't think I could ever go back to a traditional apartment with closed-off rooms. I went back to my old building and wondered how I ever did it. This place is so full of light and air. For me as an artist that translates to so much more than the physical layout. I love living here."

[Last modified August 25, 2005, 09:35:05]